The Second Encounter [Ren]

[Ren Satoshi]

Ren laughed, "If you're only as old as you feel, there are days I must be close to 100. Thank Merlin for the Yoga to keep me moving on those days." Oh, like the days he'd been working close to 20 hours and when he got home Tanaka wanted to play, or when he'd just get to sleep and Daichi would launch himself at his chest to wish him a good morning. Felt like 100, he was happy, but felt 100.

When he asked if there was anything he always wanted to do, Ren was mildly surprised by his answer. "I'll bet you would have played well. If you're passionate about something, it shouldn't matter if you have initial skill. That can be built up with time. Having true passion is something rare. That being said, I always wanted...now don't laugh...I always wanted to open a school and teach kids yoga, and train magical kids in martial arts. Magic can't help in every situation, it's good to know how to defend yourself if you cant use magic."

His food was forgotten again as he turned to be more face to face with Sebastian, "For example, my daughter was being picked on by a neighbor's child for being very small and slender. She is very small. But, when Tanaka stopped reacting to the jibes, they switched to trying to push her around. They no sooner touched her, that she grabbed his arm, put her shoulder into his chest and threw him to the ground just like I taught her to. It's not a matter of strength as using what you have." He'd been so proud when she did that, no violence, just self defense.

"I wish I'd had the skill I do now when I was young. I would not have tolerated the bullying that I did. Unfortunately, it was mostly from muggle children too. I was captivated by their lifestyle and tried to spend time with them, but they absolutely despised me." Then again, his condition didn't help matters. It was always odd when he would catch a glimpse of himself and panic.

He caught himself before mentioning it and turned red, "There I go again, rambling away. I'm sorry. I must really enjoy talking to you to be so comfortable." He really was, he couldn't help it. Something about the little smiles and smirks were so undeniably..."Cute." What? Did he just say that aloud while looking at him?

Filter is malfunctioning!

[Deleted]

"I believe that we all have those sorts of days. Unfortunately it seems to be one of those unfortunate prices that one must pay when they live. At least  you have something that helps you get going on those kinds of days." Even he himself tended to have those sorts of unfortunate days when he felt much older then he actually was due to the excessive stress and fatigue that both his job and his memories tended to cause him when he was left to his own devices, though admittedly a single cup of strong coffee was all that was needed more often than not.

When he gave Sebastian the look of surprise at the answer that he had gotten before telling Sebastian that he probably would have played well before telling him that he should not have let his lack of skill dictate his life, something that had the older man's eyes moved from Ren to glancing down at the table."In my family skill was very important if one wanted to chose another career instead of becoming an auror, which was expected of my family's men. If you wanted to become something other than an auror, you had to prove that you would excel at your chosen career." That had been the thing that had made him rethink his life choices, for even at that young age he knew he would not have passed his father's test. When Ren talked about the fact that he wanted to open a school to teach Yoga and to teach young wizards and witches martial arts, he listened before speaking to Ren.

"How noble of you to want to teach children something so useful. I think something like that would be useful. I would send my children to you if the school was built and if I had any children." When he told him of something his daughter had done to a boy that had bullied her, his lips formed a small smirk cross over his features, happy to hear that she had managed to put that boy in his place.

He hated bullies.

" Good for her. I am glad to hear that she managed to put that boy in his place.As for the subject of muggles, that truly is not all that surprising. While some of us are fascinated by them, I have noticed that they tend to persecute those that are different from themselves. It is sad really, but I suppose that we just have to accept our differences and move on, least we trouble ourselves with depressing and unneeded thoughts about them." His gaze moved from Ren to glance around the restaurant."No need to apologize to me. I find you and your stories to be interesting. I don't not mind listening to interesting things being said by an equally interesting person."

When Ren spoke about something being cute, he assumed that his company was talking about the decorations in the restaurant and agreed calmly. " I agree, the decorations in this restaurant are very nice."

[Ren Satoshi]

Wait...what?

He thought he was talking about the decor? While he had enjoyed the decor of the restaurant, he was not totally taken by it as he was the smile beside him. It was a rare treat, something that was going to be treasured when seen, likely in silence.

Damn his past. Usually, he would have made some sassy quip about it being his present company's attractive smile and eyes that he had been admiring, but the decor wasn't bad either. It fell short and he quickly popped some spinach and rice in his mouth.

Tact. Don't forget your tact.

He was reluctant to admit an attraction, it only invited heartbreak and he had enough of that to last him forever. His nature and his mind fought internally before he finally found himself saying precisely what he didn't want to say, "I was referring to that little half smile of yours, but the decor isn't bad. Though it pales in comparison to the occasional full smile I'm gifted with."

Oh bloody, Merlin. Please. A distraction.

The server appeared out of no where to regular drinks and slip their bill on the table. He'd never been so glad to see a woman in his life. Quick, think of a question. "Excuse me, Miss. I wonder if you might know of a place where I might find some china dolls?" She seemed happy to explain places, and he listened intently, black eyes sweeping cautiously to the side to see just how put off Sebastian was by his statement.

[Deleted]

To say that he had been surprised by Ren's words would probably have been one of the biggest understatements that one could have ever made. The Hungarian had been completely shocked with the revelation that the other man actually found the small smiles and smirks that he gave to be appealing in any sort of way. For a moment he had been completely sure that Ren had simply been messing with him, joking around with him in a way that friends usually did with one another but as he glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and saw no traces of laughter on the other's face or in those dark eyes of his, he knew that he had meant what he had said, something that made his pale cheeks color in the slightest hints of a rosy blush.

He wasn't used to being complimented in any sort of way and thus did not know how to properly react to such a simple thing, a revelation that embarrassed him more than he would care to admit. Merlin, he really did need more experience with other humans, he was absolutely terrible with things like this!

He had been about to thank Ren for his compliment when the waitress decided out of all possible times to come then to refill their drinks and drop off their bill, something that Sebastian immediately took possession of while Ren spoke to the waitress, asking her where he would be able to find some china dolls, something that he assumed would be a gift for his young daughter, making the small smile that he usually had on his face appear again, growing just the slightest bit before his face fell back to his normal calm and almost emotionless mask. He could tell that the younger man truly loved his daughter and it was that knowledge alone that made him feel more comfortable and relaxed around him. With Ren he felt that he could let his walls down and relax a bit, a feeling that was welcome with the sort of life that he lived for he had not managed to relax around another person since Roderich and Daphne had died.

It was odd, but Sebastian found himself liking Ren more and more with each passing moment, something that was both unsettling and yet welcome at the same time. He was shaken out of his thoughts when Ren and the waitress' conversation was over and with a small movement he handed the woman the bill along with enough money for both his and Ren's meals along with a generous tip before he turned back to Ren, giving him another very small smile. " Thank you for what you said, even if it was just a joke. It was kind for you to say such a thing to me."

[Ren Satoshi]

Black brows knitted slightly, "It was no joke. I really think that." Did he think that poorly of himself? That was rather sad, but he was the same way in retrospect. He never was able to handle positive attention quite so gracefully. It was a skill to be built up among other things. He clasped the tea cup between his hands and nursed down a few slow sips of the liquid which had grown cold in his neglect. Finally, he looked up at Sebastian and gave a soft smile that made his features soften. "Thank you for dinner. It was to be my treat, but I will get it next time."

He rose from his chair and moved it back to the empty side of the table that he'd moved it from with a slight smile before looking over at Sebastian. Ren's calm demeanor was absolutely betraying the way his mind was attempting to panic over his flirting, but yet again, his mouth opened and more came slipping out. "At least, I hope there is to be a next time. It is an absolute pleasure to be able to be seen with such a smart, handsome man."

Filter??? Where have you gone???

Ren had loved the rosy shade to cross his cheeks with the compliment given. But, those smiles that slipped out...were far more beautiful than he bargained for. He was saving that memory. "So, Sebastian, are you in a rush to get home, or would you like to take a stroll?"

[Deleted]

" Thank you for speaking such kind words to me,then Ren." He spoke quietly as normal however he honestly could not help but feel the smallest bit of confusion cloud his mind for a moment before he shrugged it away from his mind in order to focus on Ren as he spoke again, this time taking the time to thank him for the meal even though he had wanted to pay for it himself, words that had him almost wanting to laugh, though he managed to fight off the urge. " Nonsense, consider this a welcome to London from me. Besides, whenever I go to exchange galleons for muggle money I always tend to go a bit overboard and get more than I need. If I don't use it in some way it will sit in my home collecting dust." Keeping track of exchange rates was not his strong point as embarrassing as it was for him to admit out loud, but he managed on his own just fine.

When Ren rose from his seat, Sebastian stood as well gently pushing his chair in to the table and watching as Ren moved to place his chair back in it's original position in a very considerate sort of gesture that managed to impress the Hungarian. " That was kind of you to save those who work here the effort of having to move that chair back, not many others here would have done the same." Then again, not many were as kind or as considerate as Ren seemed to be.

When Ren mentioned that he hoped that there would be a next time for them to share a meal, Sebastian went to reply only to freeze when Ren complimented him again, this time calling him both smart and handsome and causing his cheeks to color again in another blush [though this was noticeably darker than the first one.]" T-Thank you Ren. Yes of course there will be a next time, I do enjoy your company." Something that was very rare for him and while he cursed himself for that brief stutter, he was somewhat amused.

When Ren asked him if he was in a hurry to get home, he shook his head before moving to the entrance of the restaurant. " No I am not in a hurry, I would like to go for a walk with you." Not like he had anyone waiting for him at home or waiting for him anywhere else for that manner.

[Ren Satoshi]

Ren heard that tiny bit of a stutter and in that moment, he was in awe. That was the most adorable thing he had ever heard. No one in his family ever stuttered and he was almost certain that he had never heard that before, save for the time he went to Hogwarts. However, he let his smile speak the thought of the stutter being adorable to cut down on the amount of embarrassment he felt.

As they moved through the restaurant and out to the street again, Ren caught the slightest glimpse of himself in the front window and swallowed roughly. Why...now? Quickly, he averted his eyes to the ground before choosing to look solely at Sebastian or the ground. That was a safe route until he could...wait...he could just take another dose. "Sebastian, do you mind a momentary wait. I almost forgot something in the restaurant."

Quickly, he ducked back in and asked for a glass of water before those familiar 2 sky blue pills were chased down and he wandered by their table before pulling a blue signet ring from his pocket and walking out with it, pulling his glove off as he rejoined him. "I must learn to keep this on. It falls out of my pocket so often."

He could already feel the medication easing the panic. He didn't want to burden him with the complications of his disorder. He'd been teased his whole life because he just couldn't see anything other than someone disfigured and horrifying. Finally, he smiled up at him and started walking down the street at his side, both arms folded across each other behind him. He didn't want to risk being bitten by that enamored bug and reaching for his hand. Oh, no. Nature was not winning this one.

Lines that ought not be crossed or some shit like that, yes.

"Favorite books? Do you have any that you enjoy reading for pleasure?"

[Deleted]

Oh how he was so embarrassed because of that momentary slip up. His face absolutely burned from the intensity if the blush on his face and his gaze was focused on the ground for a long moment, his body fighting hard to calm himself so that he would not stutter again and further embarrass himself. It was only after he managed to regain control of himself and his emotions that he allowed himself to look at Ren again, fighting the embarrassment all over again as he saw the smile on the other man's face and knowing that despite his wishes, that Ren had heard both him and that tiny stutter that he got when he was flustered all too clearly.

He hated that damn stutter.

As they made their way through the restaurant, he began to notice that Ren's stare lay on either the ground or on the floor almost as though he was in complete thought about something. When they reached the outside, Ren spoke up asking him if he minded waiting for a moment because he had forgotten something in the restaurant, a question that was responded to with a shake of the head." No, I don't mind go ahead and retrieve what it is that you've forgotten, I will be waiting for you here." He moved so that his large form was leaning comfortably against the wall, watching as Ren went back to the inside of the restaurant before his gaze fell to the ground as he allowed his thoughts to momentarily take over in his companion's temporary absence.

That would be the very position that Reb would find him in a moment later before his dark gaze lifted to gaze at the Japanese male as he spoke about a ring that he had on his finger, making the Hungarian subconsciously reach up to his chest, gently touching the base of his family locket to ensure that it was still around his neck. While the lockets themselves were sturdy, the clasp on the chains that they wore were weak, causing the lockets to come undone at the worst of times, making the precious possessions very easy to lose.

As the two began their walk together, Sebastian settled into a somewhat relaxed position as he walked, both hands resting at his side as his eyes carefully observed their surroundings, making sure that everything was normal before his gaze fell back to Ren as he asked him a question about books, something that surprised him greatly before he calmly answered." Well there are a lot of books that I do enjoy, I must say that I do prefer muggle authors to magical ones. My favorites are all written by muggle authors because of that. I think my absolute favorite ones were the Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux and The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. What about you, what are your favorite things to read?"

[Ren Satoshi]

The edges of Ren's lips slid upward into a subtle smile. "My favorite authors are also muggle authors. Something about magical authors just does not appeal to me when it comes to reading for pleasure." Informative reading was another story. Magical authors were far better at supplying information. "But, I find myself enthralled with poets as of late. Frost, Walden, Chaucer, Balzac, Shakespeare...but I have greatly enjoyed Paradise Lost by John Milton."

Dark, yes, but often the wizard could relate to the idea of journeying through each circle of Hell. Some days he felt as if he had taken the journey himself. It wasn't just the condition, it was his past. The eldest Satoshi twin seemed to have a permanently destroyed heart when it came to his former lovers. There were only two of any real note, but several flings for a lack of caring any further.

When his eyes swept back from Sebastian and the smile had turned to something more true, it quickly vanished, leaving an expression that mirrored the sear through his chest. The pair of wizards were moving toward another pair of wizards. It was the one on the right that his gaze seemed locked on.

He looked down to avoid eye contact, but the words already filled the air. "Satoshi. No need to ask which one, smelling of decades of loneliness and shame." Ren stiffened, but kept walking, his gait widening to get past faster, however the Asian wizard who had spoken jabbed again. "You've toned down your makeup after the last few years, can't say it ever did anything for you."

Oh, no. Avoid reflective surfaces...that's what he wants.

"Awful far from your family, back to pleasing your brother since no one would have you?" From behind the curtain of long hair, there was a hitch in his breath and it took all of his control to not sprint away. "Perhaps its for the better that you left your son with your parents and your sister. Merlin knows they may teach him dome honor to not turn out like you."

He was well hidden under his hair the way he walked, but the temperature noticeably dropped around him. Small drops of ice were falling and littering the sidewalk, but it was difficult to tell just where they had come from. They'd fallen from his eyes and frozen promptly after. Frozen tears. He damned himself for being unable to mask his hurt like his brother could. He was the emotional one, always had been. The laughter was following him and his breathing slowly turned erratic. "What, no comment?? Nothing to say?"

[Deleted]

There was a certain amount of surprise that came with the revelation that Ren shared his preference of muggle to magical writers when it came to reading for pleasure, that surprise only seeming to grow when he mentioned enjoying the works of various poets. He had not been expecting Ren to say such a surprising thing not had he been expecting Ren to favor such a dark piece over all of the other works of the other poets. It seemed as though Ren was just full of surprises that seemed to just keep on coming the more and more that he got to know him.

" I must say that you've got some pretty good taste when it comes to literature, I am impressed." He almost wanted to smile at him again though he managed to suppress the urge and simply nodded his head in seeming approval of his choices, hiding his emotions yet again.

As the two continued on their walk, they eventually stumbled across another pair walking down the same street that they were walking down and had Sebastian not glanced down at Ren in that moment and seen that almost petrified gaze that he held with the man on the right, he would not have paid them any attention. The men began to speak to Ren, saying all sorts of horrid and cruel things to the kind man that had become a friend to him in such a short time causing his blood to begin to boil and the darkness that his family was known for began to awaken and stir within his chest building up and whispering sweet and poisonous words seductively in his ear begging him to let it go so that it could teach these pathetic fools a lesson.

It was when they insulted him as a parent and his darkening gaze lowered to glance at the other, seeing him hide behind his hair and watching as small specks of ice fell onto the sidewalk that finally pushed him over the edge. In a moment the taller man stopped, a gentle but firm hand landing on Ren's shoulder stopping him as well before with that single hand, he ushered Ren behind him, shielding him from the other's view with his taller and larger frame as his almost black eyes narrowed in complete disgust at those horrible parasites that had been so cruel to such a kind man.

" I wonder just who the hell you two think you are, coming out of nowhere and speaking such disgusting words to a person who does not deserve them. Do you think yourselves funny or clever, or superior for making someone cry? Is that how pathetic the two of you are? Well I will not tolerate this as long as I am around. You two pieces of trash are going to apologize to this man here and then you are going to walk away and never bother him again or I will come and find you and when I do I will make the both of you regret the day that you two were even born into your pathetic lives." As he spoke he moved closer and closer to the two overgrown wizards until he was directly in front of then, his large frame towering over them and his dark eyes glaring down at them with such a cold and intense glare that promised nothing but pain if they did not do as he said.

He listened as the two gave a rather shaky apology and watched as they ran off with their metaphorical tails between their legs, something that made the Hungarian scoff in disgust before he tried to calm his anger, taking a moment to stay with his back facing Ren before he turned back around, facing Ren with a calm expression on his face his gaze was back to normal, though it did hold a touch of concern for the other man.. " I am sorry, I should have stopped that as soon as it started. I should have stepped in a lot sooner to put those pieces of trash in their place a lot sooner." He fell quiet for a moment before speaking up again." I know that I'm probably speaking out of term here but if there is anything that you ever need to talk about, I promise I will listen and not judge. If you ever need someone to talk to, I am here for you."

[Ren Satoshi]

To say that Ren was surprised to feel Sebastian move between him and his tormenters would have been a sheer understatement. However, it was a gesture that made him feel safe. Leather clad fingers curled gently over the other's side, his eyes shut for a moment to gather himself. It was only when Sebastian turned and looked down at him that his hair blew back to reveal the slightest shadowy traces of black down pale cheeks. His lips were pressed together slightly, but the look in his eyes was one of a deep rooted anger. "Thank you." He said softly, his head lowered slightly and remained still for a moment as he listened to him speak again.

"No one has ever really stood up for me before. No one but my brother." He inhaled softly and looked up at him. "I tend to be more sensitive when someone insults my parenting than when they simply insult me. I have my demons." He found an impulsive hand raising to his face and sighed softly.

"I...well...I have a disorder that makes socializing difficult. People pick up on it, exploit it. Its called Body Dysmorphic Disorder." Black eyes lifted quietly to look to the dark eyes of his temporary companion. "I have a total inability to see myself as others do. What you see, I cannot. I see something far worse and at times it actually frightens me. When I was a teen, people used to spike my drinks so the alcohol would delay my medication and I would panic. They found it funny."

A wry sort of smile found its way onto his lips, "It sounds funny, but I assure you that it feels far worse than it seems." His reflection terrified him to the core.

[Deleted]

" There is no need for any words of thanks, I am only doing what I know to be right. What those two were saying was completely out of line. No one should ever be spoken to in such a cruel way especially if they did not deserve it. Those two were nothing more than overgrown bullies and there is absolutely nothing on this planet, nothing in this world that are more detestable than bullies in my eyes." He knew how badly the words of others were capable of hurting another person from personal experience and there was absolutely no way that he was going to let anyone suffer through that pain while they were in his company.

When Ren spoke up and said that no one had ever stood up for him aside from his brother before, a frown crossed his lips as he watched as he took in a deep breath before looking up to meet his own darkened gaze before finally speaking up and saying that he tended to be more sensitive when someone chose to insult his parenting rather than he himself, saying that he had his demons, something that made Sebastian shake his head.

" We all have our demons deep inside of our hearts that gnaw at our hearts and plague our minds, it is a part of life, however if there is one thing that I can tell from the short amount of time that we have spent together, it is that what they said is not true. No bad parent would care for their children as much as I see that you do. I can see it in your eyes whenever you speak of them, how much you love them. That is not the sign of one." Dark eyes turned back to where the two cowards had ran off to, scoffing in distaste with narrowed eyes before he spoke again." At any point those two should not be talking about bad parenting, it is obvious that their own parents forgot to teach them how to properly treat others. If I ever dared bully a person like that, I would have been severely punished by both my mother and father."

Ren sighed softly before speaking up and telling him that he had something that was called Body Dysmorphic Disorder, a disorder that made socializing with others difficult for him. It was something that had caused others to exploit him in the past. His disorder made it impossible for Ren to see himself the way that Sebastian saw him, instead giving him a image that managed to scare him at times. Sebastian was told that people used to slip him alcohol when he was a teenager so that his medication would work slowly and he would panic, just for their own sick amusement.

For a moment all was quiet as Sebastian tried his hardest to suppress his growing anger and disgust. There was no reason for him to be angry and yet he could not help it. He could not believe that there were cruel and disgusting people like that who would do something so evil to Ren." It is not funny nor does it sound even the slightest bit humorous to me. It sounds terrifying and it disgusts me that there are people in this world that would do such a despicable thing to you. You did not deserve such a terrible thing and I apologize for the entire race of sickening people that would do that to their own kind." He took a deep breath, again trying to calm himself before he spoke again. " I promise you, that such a thing will not happen to you in my presence. I will not tolerate anyone treating anyone, much less someone that I consider to be a friend of mine in such a terrible way."

[Ren Satoshi]

Sebastian had no idea how much that thought meant to him. To think that someone...anyone...thought enough of him to defend him was enough to let his shoulders drop in relief. His eyes slid in the direction that the two had gone running with a look of vague disdain.

"Words only hurt so much, you will never see someone land a punch however. I'll knock a dumbass out. They also know this. My 70 year old mother would knock a dumbass out. I just...I need a thicker skin when it comes to bullies. Desperately. You would think after 22 years of this, I'd get over it." Truthfully, he had a lot of trouble getting over almost anything.

Case in point, En. The bullying. Akio...old news, but still fresh in his mind. It boggled his mind to know that even as an adult, he had to deal with bullies. He was too old for this nonsense. But, some people's cruel nature just...never changed.

He drew his gaze from the Hungarian and took a deep breath before speaking in a nearly normal voice. "One day, it won't bother me. It will be a pleasant change from the normal. Until then, I have you to thank, my savior." Even if Sebastian was one to enjoy his space, he wasn't about to escape the hug that was coming. Both of Ren's arms wrapped securely around the bigger man and his chin rested on his shoulder. A breath of uncovered lashes swept over the Hungarian's cheek just before a vague brush of lips passed over the skin.

It was then that Ren moved back to his spot at Sebastian's side and continued on the street. The twins lived in West End, in the middle of the art and theatre districts of London. Normally, it wound up being a quiet walk where Ren was left with his feelings and his thoughts. His mind was both his prison and his freedom.

"We live in West End...well I...live in West End since he's at the school. If you live far from me, I wouldn't expect you to walk me home." Though the thought was nice.

[Deleted]

Sebastian listened quietly to the words that Ren spoke from everything about how bullies were usually to scared to ever land a hit to how words could only hurt so much and how after twenty two years of the same thing that he would think he would have gotten used to their cruel words by now. He said that all he needed was to gain a thicker skin so that their words would not affect him as much, something that still had him frowning the slightest bit.

" I do not think that you should have to be the one to change at all, I think that the ones to change should be the ones at fault for this bloody situation, however like said I won't let them even look at you the wrong way as long as I am with you."

It would be no different than when he was younger and partially responsible for the protection of his hometown, though this time he would not allow this to end in disaster.

When Ren called him his savior along with moving to embrace him the taller man froze for a moment, not used to such a friendly gesture from anyone in such a long time. His body remained still for a moment before his hand moved to his back, awkwardly patting it as his face colored again with a blush when he felt a pair of lips brush against his skin for a moment before the other man let him go and started walking down the street, Sebastian following after him a quick moment later, his face back to normal as though that had not just happened .

Ren spoke telling him which part of London that he and his brother lived in before saying that he would not expect him to walk him home if he lived far from where he lived, something that caused a single brow to rise as he looked at Ren with an almost incredulous expression on his face.

" It doesn't matter how far or how close that I live to you and your brother, after what happened I am not about to leave you to walk alone and even if you did live far away from where I do all it would take is a quick apparition and I would be fine."

[Ren Satoshi]

Well, Ren had tried to be less of a bother. Let no one say that he didn't try. Though, it seemed to be in vain as the taller man seemed unwilling to admit that he was a burden. How strange. He was not going to push the matter, lest he make Sebastian think that he didn't want him around. That was absolutely not the case. As they walked, he found himself securing his length of hair back with a band and sweeping the pads of his thumbs beneath his eyes, clearing the black away and letting it remain on the black leather of his gloves. His lips were only a half shade off normal, suggesting there had been some form of a lip stain upon them at one point during the evening, but no longer.

He wished he could see what was there. He really did.

At times, his tormenters were correct, he did wear too much. That was how one could judge how bad of a day he was having with his reflection. Today hadn't been a bad day, tomorrow absolutely would be. If he could bring himself to leave the flat, he'd be in good shape.

"Thank you. I suppose I'm not used to having friends outside of my team. The nature of my job forces me to be social, and they all are aware of my problem. They are patient, but only because I work so hard to ensure things are running as smoothly as possible, and I've helped them all out of sticky situations. The German that you saw with me today, almost lost an arm to a Norwegian Ridgeback years ago. I pulled him back faster than he could move and had aid in subduing the big guy." He was one pissed off dragon. He had to imagine that being an Auror meant one would have to work alone...a lot. He could have managed alone. Sometimes he questioned his career, but that was something he knew not to do. Socializing was a challenge, not his defeat.

There were times, as they walked that he would glance up at Sebastian with an expression that bordered on curious. He could swear he had seen his face somewhere before he had met him. Somewhere. He just could not...place where.